This Friday, July 21, two major blockbusters are set to hit theaters. However, "Barbie" directed by Greta Gerwig and "Oppenheimer" directed by Christopher Nolan, could not be any more different in terms of style and plot, so how did the two films become grouped together in a phenomenon people are calling "Barbenheimer"?
Both Gerwig and Nolan are well-known and well-loved directors in Hollywood, with serious fans and a lot of respect from those who consider themselves movie lovers. So when both of these high-profile projects were announced to be dropping on the same day, these movie lovers began to joke about watching them as a conflicting double feature: a somber historical film about the life and career of J. Robert Oppenheimer, immediately followed by an adventure in pink featuring the iconic Mattel doll. Yet the contrast is the very thing that’s at the heart of this discussion.
What started out as a joke about the polar opposite yet very-hyped films quickly became serious. Die-hard movie lovers and casual theater goers alike began to hop on board of the humor of the double feature and decide to follow through with it. Merch has been made by countless artists and graphic designers, plenty of tweets on the trend have been made and even the actors themselves have chimed in.
This meme, no matter how random or ridiculous it seems, has been a huge player in the opening weekends of these films. AMC has stated that over 40,000 moviegoers have purchased back-to-back tickets to each movie, taking this from a meme to a bona fide event.
Now, the debate has changed. It is no longer "will you be participating in this double feature" but rather, "in which order are you doing Barbenheimer?"